Muguruza to usher in a new era
Spaniard can topple Venus
WE thought that a new star had been unearthed when Garbine Muguruza reached the final here two years ago and when she won the French Open in 2016.
Yet since then the 23-year-old Spaniard has slipped back into the peloton, seemingly fearful of being out in front.
Now she can prove herself to be the true champion the women’s game craves if, today on Centre Court, she stops the extraordinary Wimbledon run of 37-year-old Venus Williams.
The American winning her sixth title here some 17 summers after her first one would be an incredible tale, especially given her traumas off-court.
For the long-term, Muguruza becoming the new champion would be more significant, given the state of flux in the top five or 10. It has not been a problem of the WTA Tour’s making that there has been a catalogue of Grand Slam winners who, for a variety of reasons, have simply not pushed on to become major stars.
Those running the circuit have been cursing their bad luck at so many nascent ‘marquee’ players either falling away, retiring, or even being hit by tragedy.
The situation was compounded by one of the few genuine superstars, Maria Sharapova, being suspended for 15 months for a doping offence.
It started with Australian Sam Stosur winning the US Open in 2011 and then failing to back it up. Petra Kvitova’s brilliance has been sporadic since she won Wimbledon that year, her repeat triumph in 2014 being distinctly isolated before the dreadful assault last year. Then there have been three Grand Slam champions who have retired very soon after reaching their peak. First it was the quirky Marion Bartoli following Wimbledon 2013, then Chinese superstar Li Na in the wake of the 2014 Australian Open.
Flavia Pennetta did not hang around after her shock 2015 triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams have taken breaks for parenthood.
Muguruza struggled to cope with the expectation and attention after the French Open last year, although she seemed perfectly relaxed at her pre-final press conference yesterday.
There was no chance of Venus having one of those, having a long-standing aversion to media duties. In fact, she was fined £5,730 ($7,500) this week for declining to do a mandatory post-match TV interview.
Muguruza, born in Caracas to a Venezuelan mother and Spanish father, believes she has moved on from that post-French Open malaise, although it took half of last season.
‘I think my mind is more equipped this time because the more experience you get, the more you know how to deal with these situations,’ she said.
‘I felt like people had expectations of me, but I always felt like every time I go to a tournament, I have the weapons to reach the final rounds.’ She is clearly someone who loves a big event, because while she has won only three WTA Tour events she has already reached three Grand Slam finals.
Muguruza does not think there is any magic formula to the longevity of Williams: ‘I think she just loves to play and she enjoys going out there.
‘ She keeps playing, even though she has achieved so many things. She is still motivated to go for more, which is also very surprising.’
Williams appeared to surprise Jo Konta on Thursday with the relentless quality of her game, especially on her serve. It is hard to think that there was a fouryear spell between 2011 and 2014 when she failed to go past the last 16 at a Grand Slam.
everyone assumed she was washed up, although the subsequent discovery of Sjogren’s Syndrome may have been a factor.
A key for Muguruza has been having ex-Wimbledon champion and Spain Fed Cup captain Conchita Martinez in her corner.
It was 1994 when Martinez stunned Martina Navratilova in the final, and remarkable to think that it was also that year when Venus Williams made her professional debut.
Muguruza ought to have the edge, but then many thought that of Konta before Venus knocked out the great British hope.